SAFA issue Afcon apology, say Pitso's job is safe

[Posted 20 Oct 2011][By Beezsports Editor]

After many days of insisting that their Afcon elimnation appeal with CAF had merit, SAFA have finally come to their senses and have admitted to the nation that they erred, and have at the same time re-assured Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane that his job is safe.

Safa president Kirsten Nematandani has taken it upon himself to issue a public apology on behalf of his association.

The national association also says they have withdrawn their appeal to CAF and Pitso Mosimane’s job remains safe.

"I would like to apologise to the entire nation, government and sponsors for the failure to qualify for the Afcon," statement from Nematandani read.

"We are profoundly sorry for letting the nation down. The nation believes given the talent that we have failure was inexcusable.

"Our best endeavour is to now make sure that this doesn't happen again. But then people need to be held accountable but again I stress we are sincerely sorry for letting the nation down."

At the same time, Safa has assured Bafana coach Mosimane that his job is safe despite having been partly responsible for misreading the qualification rules and taking decisions from from the benhc which contributed to South Africa's elimnation from the Afcon finals.

Safa CEO Robin Petersen has avoided laying all blame on Pitso's door, choosing to make confusing statement about who exactly is to blame for the debacle, flip-flopping between what he interestingly calls technical support team and himself.

"We don't single out Pitso in this, but we accept that he made a mistake and we also understand that we need to bolster the technical team, because during the World Cup we had three technical management managers but we now have only one.

"We are not talking about the coaches right now, but rather the support staff to the national team because they are the ones who need to provide the coach with everything that he needs so that he doesn't have worry about those matters but rather concentrate on getting the team to perform," says Petersen.

He then goes on to make a somewhat funny conclusion after being at pains to exonerate his president who has come under fire for having not been aware of the rules despite him being a member of CAF's Afcon 2012 Organising Committee.

"If there is any responsibility it is to the CEO," says Petersen, referring to the responsibility for having failed the nation through Bafana's failed Afcon campaign.